Why it matters: The five per cent increase will take the average Band D property police precept to £304.47, up from £289.53, with the extra funding earmarked for technology investments, police visibility in towns across the county and an increased focus on rural crime.
The details: Suffolk County Council's police and crime panel met on Friday, 30 January, to discuss the precept proposals, with members having the power to either allow the increase through or veto it and request a revised proposal.
Tim Passmore, Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner, told councillors the increase was needed due to a lack of Government funding, which was leaving the county's residents "at the bottom of the pile" despite being one of the best performers in terms of recorded crime.
A separate increase of £10, or 3.45 per cent, was considered but not recommended as it would leave the constabulary with a £1.4 million budget shortfall for next year.
What they're saying: Mr Passmore said it had been a "rough decision" but stressed not increasing the precept would be "so detrimental that it doesn't bear thinking about".
He told councillors the extra money would be used to invest in technology to free up time for officers, police visibility in towns across the county and an added focus on rural crime.
Asked whether Suffolk Police could use some of its reserves to fund a lower increase, the PCC said the force would dip into them in an emergency but argued they should be kept at a healthy level.
The concerns: Panel members raised questions about whether the force's consultation took into account the impact of the increase on those who struggled the most.
These led to councillors asking the PCC to produce an impact assessment assessing the impacts of the current proposals, while making sure any future precept increases included similar assessments.
The panel's recommendations also included further updates, to be presented in October, on how the investments impacted officer time to ensure value for money.
Meanwhile, both panel members and the PCC will seek support from council leaders across Suffolk to write a letter to the Government outlining concerns over funding.
The bottom line: When asked to vote, members decided to back the precept increase with eight votes for, one against and one abstention.
